Friday, January 09, 2009

Took some time off, but now it's time for the Friday Music Game. And we'll just do it the old-school, traditional way. If you're new, feel free to play along. It's fun AND 4 out of 5 doctors say it will help relieve your stress before the weekend.

Rules: Put your iPod/MP3 player/iTunes, etc on shuffle/random and hit Play. Then list the first ten songs that play, in order, no skipping (even if that embarrassing Michael Bolton song comes up...). And feel free to tell us something about the songs if you want.

And here we go....

1.Julie Miller - All My Tears- love this song. She has a new album out with husband Buddy, but wish she would do another solo album.

2. The Hooters - Time After Time (live) - always liked Cyndi Lauper's version of this song, but while she made it famous, these are the guys that wrote it. This live version is pretty nice.

3. Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash - I Still Miss Someone - I recently found a whole bunch of Dylan/Cash performances online. Two great tastes that taste great together!

4. The Juliana Theory - 10,000 Questions - really like these guys, but this isn't one of my faves...

5. Soul Junk - 3PO Soul - my favorite lo-fi/punk/hip hop/jazz outfit. Prefer their oldest stuff, but this really like this song in all of it's electronic deliciousness.

6. The Fray - She Is - newer song from these guys. They are hit and miss with me, but I like this song. Really like this dude's voice.

7. Damien Jurado - Hell and Highwater - nice quietly dark tune from Jurado's debut album, Water Avenue S, on Subpop. Still a great album 12 years later...

8. Land of a Thousand Rappers - Water Displacement - Don't know much about this band but I really like their sound...and they are on Asthmatic Kitty Records...which counts for something!

19 comments:

1. "This Love" ~ Maroon 5 (fun and funky)2. "The Christians and the Pagans" ~ Dar Williams (Wouldn't it be nice if we could live like this?)3. "Drops of Jupiter" ~ Train (nice to remember that what you want was right in front of you the whole time)4. "Bring Me to Life" ~ Evanescence (sadly I feel this way sometimes...)5. "Spring Street" ~ Dar Williams (Power to the women!)6. "Lullabye" ~ Shawn Mullins (nice and sweet)7. "Bartender" ~ Dave Matthews Band (wow)8. "Sleeping In" ~ The Postal Service (wouldn't that be nice?)9. "Here's to the Night" ~ Eve 6 (something special about night I suppose)10. "February" ~ Dar Williams (I detest February; the only worse month is probably April)

Apparently the iPod was in a Dar Williams mood. Kinda surprised to see no Over the Rhine, but whatever. :)

I have an older iPod so there's not as much space on it for "all" the music, so my songs are more "hand-picked" generally.

3. Elbow - "One Day Like This", WOW!!! I adore this song. Elbow is such an underrated band that has consistently produced strong albums. Amazing melodies. This album in particular SOUNDS amazing; superb production.

4. Arcade Fire - "Neighborhood #2 (Laika), this song holds up so well. I still remember when I first picked up this album and the emotions that it stirred. Happy this band took some time off - hopefully coming back reenergized.

5. Live - "Feel the Quiet River Rage", I really enjoy Live, but this is off my least favorite album of theirs.

6. Guster - "So Long", Sometimes I stop listening to Guster for a while. Then I hear a song like this and remember why love them. Simple, clear, melodies over straightforward instrumentation. Add in the spice of a Lillywhite production and you have magic.

7. Phish - "Ghost", Phish is back! Didn't get tickets to Hampton, but making plans on other shows. And Trey got his compressor pedal back!!!

8. Voxtrot - "Every Day", This band put out some great EPs, but this initial full length didn't really cut it. Hit or miss as a whole, but I think this is one of the more memorable cuts.

9. Nickel Creek - "Out of the Woods", Lovely song with elegant harmonies. Chris Thile's playing is relatively understated (and it works on this song).

10. Elliot Smith - "Sweet Adeline", this song came off the album that got me through final exams this last semester. My favorite of his.

1. Braid - ArielThis band is awesome. So poppy and energetic, but at the same time so complicated with rhythm and time signatures. It was great going to see them play when they were still together.

2. Radiohead - No SurprisesVery nearly my favorite song on OK Computer. This song made me want to get a little metal xylophone. Such a pretty song based on simple guitar/xylophone hook played in unison.

3. Coldplay - The ScientistAs many know, this is my and The Best Jamie's favorite band together as a couple. This song is so simple, sad, and lovely.

4. Daniel French - Phase TwoOf course I am going to be partial to this song. I played drums on it in the studio when we were working on Daniel French's solo EP a couple years ago. These sessions are what inspired the formation of The French Revolution a year or so later (Ken, I will have to give you a copy of the DF EP).

5. Elliott Smith - Color BarsThere are very few Elliott Smith songs that don't put me in a good frame of mind and relaxed mood. This is just one of many great songs by a man that left us way too soon.

6. Pedro The Lion - OptionsThe first song on what I believe to be Pedro The Lion's best album, Control. This is the only PTL album that actually really sets itself apart from the rest, in my humble opinion. I really liked PTL from the beginning, but I noticed that his albums weren't really changing all that much. I was ready to give up on David Bazan completely when this album came out and not only kept my interest in PTL, but boosted it much higher than it had been before. Of course, he just went right back to the old, tired Bazan formulas after this album. Oh well. At least he released Control.

7. Fugazi - ReprovisionalThis song was re-recorded as a slightly modified version from Fugazi's first release of the song. It's a good song, but the original version was better.

8. EMF - Admit ItYes, I still think EMF was a good band. I liked their music then, and I still like it now (albeit not with as much enthusiasm as before). This made it onto my iPod just recently in a nostalgic dig through my CDs in the basement that caused me to import my EMF catalog onto iTunes.

9. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mellowship Slinky in B MajorThis song is yet another well-recorded, well-produced funky gem off of Blood Sugar Sex Magik, this band's best album. John Frusciante's simple, walking guitar lines during the verses and angular chord strumming and riffing during the choruses are just so tasteful. Listen carefully and you will hear children's toy pianos playing in the bridge.

10. Braid - Jimmy Go SwimmerIt's pretty cool that this list was book-ended by Braid. All I really have left to say is if you have never heard Braid before, go out and buy the albums Frame and Canvas and Age of Octeen. They will sufficiently give you some introductory Braid schooling. Then you can always go and listen to their back catalog if you want to hear them in their rougher youth as a band.

1. Collide Howie Day Puke. This guy does some really cool looping with foot pedals so I went to see him life once. Biggest ass ever. Cut his set short half way through because he didn't think the crowd was being appreciative.

2. No One Would Riot For Less Bright Eyes I still say I like Connor better solo, and I know a lot of people aren't big fans of Cassadaga, but wow, I really like this song.

3. All I Want Future of Forestry I really don't know how I feel about this song. It's kind of boring me.

4. The Warmth Incubus This song is unequivocally awesome. I feel like if they had never gotten so big, people would still love this band. As a side note, Are You In? is probably my favorite party song of all time.

5. Lizzy Ben Kweller This is probably album filler on Sha Sha but it seems to kind of foreshadow the path that Kweller's music would take on later albums. It's a nice little song.

6. Not Enough Our Lady Peace I really, really grew out of this band. This song is not terrible though.

7. The Lightning Strike Snow Patrol I'm not a Snow Patrol guy. A co-worker is trying to get me into this album (A Hundred Million Suns) so I promise I'd listen at least three times through. This is the last track and I don't remember liking it as much as I did this morning. It's hella-long though.

8. Recycled Air The Postal Service Please make another album. Please? This isn't my favorite song off of the album but it's quite serene.

9. The Stars are Projectors Modest Mouse What is with me and long songs today? Lately when I listen to MM this album (The Moon and Antarctica) is the one I listen to.

10. Wearing Thin Further Seems Forever I wanted to go out with a bang. Didn't happen.

1. Muse - Endlessly2. Nutcracker: Act 2: Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy - Looks like I didn't successfully ditch all the Christmas music from my iPod. Duke Ellington's play on this piece ("Sugar Rum Fairy") is to die for.3. U2 - 40 - How long to sing this song?4. Rilo Kiley - Love And War (11/11/06) - When Sixpence called it quits, Rilo Kiley was there to step in as my new favorite chick-led act.5. Rod Stewart - First Cut Is The Deepest - Yup.6. David McMillen - Go Easy - from a Paste music sampler.7. Run DMC - Rock Box8. Sarah Masen - Wrap My Arms Around Your Name - Charlie Peacock knew what he was doing when he hand-picked Sarah for his short-lived Re:Think label.9. The Morning After Girls - Chasing Us Under - They're soon to feature a genuine rock star from Lancaster.Mono - Are You There? - This album is concept-heavy for being "atmospheric" post-rock. The album is "You Are There." Unbelief within belief.

1. Incubus: I Miss You2. Counting Crows: A Murder of One3. Nirvana: Come As You Are4. The Wallflowers: I Wish I Felt Nothing5. Dido: Slide6. Counting Crows: Sullivan Street7. Coldplay: Trouble8. Beach Boys: Their Hearts Were Full of Spring (Also for the record, I never actually listened to this song or album on here)9. Phil Wickham: Spirit Fall10. Hanson: In A Way

Kings of Convenience Cayman IslandsPossibly one of the best bands to wake up to, Kings of Convenience are always on heavy rotation.Mos Def SunshineThe New Danger is the best example of Rock & Hip Hop fusion I've heard.The Flaming Lips Sleeping On The RoofModest Mouse DashboardAs more and more of Modest Mouses albums come out I realize they are the band I am truly aging with.DJ Shadow Giving Up The GhostI can get so much work done with DJ Shadow. The longer the track the better.Man Man Against the Peruvian MonsterI've had this album for a long time but only recently discovered how great Man Man is.The Jesus & Mary Chain Kill Surf CityKings of Convenience The Build UpModest Mouse The Good Times Are Killing MeGrizzly Bear Yellow HouseThe Arcade Fire Windowstill